Southern California’s Prestige Series of Cyclocross - CX Championships
11/28/09 - With clear skies, no winds, and a fantastic course Lake Casitas park was this year’s venue for the Southern California/Nevada Cyclocross Championships brought to you by Shimano. The wonderful location and beautiful views made for an epic day. The course supplied one of the most consistently flowing raced this season. The combination of turns with loose dirt, fast sweeping grass sections, climbs, and the two flat road sections gave riders a lot of opportunities to race more tactically, which was evident all day.

There were many excellent races but a few that can’t go without mentioning are: the men’s 35-39, where Fritz Bottger (PAA) and Garnet Vertican (Giant Bikes) battled the entire race putting on one of the best shows. They destroyed each other, lap after lap, exchanging the lead until it ultimately came down to the final sprint were Bottger was able to take the title. In the men’s 50-54, it was Bob Langin Sr. who has been sidelined, off and on, recently due to a heart condition, however, it did not seem to slow him today as he pulled off his biggest win on the season.

Elite Women:
Coryn Rivera (Proman) was back in the mix this week as she tunes herself up for national championships and it was Rivera’s race from the start. She took the whole shot and lead the race off the pavement through the first 180 degree turn and did not look back. On her tail it was Melody Metzger (Cal Giant) with the other Southern California star Kendall Ryan (SoCalCross/CICLE) in third. The two worked hard trying to close the gap on Rivera but Rivera’s power was too much. The real battle then was for second and third, until there were two laps to go when Metzger had a mechanical which was just enough for Ryan to sneak away. Metzger held her ground but could not catch back with Ryan. In the end it was Rivera who added another title to her belt, Kendall Ryan second, Metzger third, Baumketzer fourth, and Alexis Ryan to round out the top five.

Elite Men:
The long road start was taken by last weeks winner John Behrens (Bailey Bikes) who came out in the lead through the first loose turn and he continued his pace through the first half of lap one. Then it was series leader Brent Prenzlow (B&L/Celo Pacific) who commanded the front spot going up the long climb and through the triple barrier section. He had the lead position but the front group was not breaking up. All race it was a group of at least six to seven riders as they tactically watched each other, applying their efforts in their chosen sections but it would not crack the group. On the third lap going into the fast flat barrier section Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air/Specialized), who bunny hopped the barrier each lap, went over the bars hard on the barriers. It was a hard crash but not enough to put him out of contention because he has the power and pedaled back onto the front group within half a lap.

Prenzlow was up front racing smart with the other lead riders as the front group exchanged pulls through different sections continuing to pull away from the rest of the elite field. Gary Douville (Platinum Performance) was working hard on the front, then Taberlay, Mountain Bike Legend Ned Overend and others as the group came through each lap. With four to go the anticipated winner Prenzlow dropped off the front pack with his foot unclipped, maybe with a pedal issue, but by the fifth lap he was back in the group.

Finally, with one to go pack of six came to the last turn before the barriers. Mark Noble (Nonstop Ciclismo) made a move in the tight corner to pass Overend but he lost traction and slid out which made Prenzlow run into the back of him. It was just what was needed for Taberlay, Douville, and Brandon Gritters (Rock N’ Road Cyclery) who monopolized on the two tangled riders. Taberlay instantly attacked leaving Douville and Gritters in the chase. Prenzlow and Noble were back in the chase quickly but it was close. Taberlay kept attacking through the final climb and onto the road for the final sprint for the win. However, while he did have an impressive race to take the win, his Australian citizenship does not allow him the Southern California/Nevada Championship so Gary Douville took the championship title and second on the day. And, behind sprinting up the road it was Brent Prenzlow who just passed Gritters before the line for third, with Gritters Fourth and Ned Overend to round out the top five.

District Champions:

Junior Women

10-12, Hannah Eckvahl (Velo Bella)

13-14, Tori Baldewin (Team Velocity)

15-16, Hannah Rae Finchamp (Team CICLE)

17-18, Somersby Jenkins (Echelon Santa Barbara)

Junior Men

10-12, Duncan Reid (BikePalace/BackOnTrack)

13-14, Cammeron Williams (Bear Valley Bikes)

15-16, Alex Darville (Echelon Santa Barbara)

17-18, Peter Morris (Bike Religion)

Masters/Elite:

Women

50+, Carol Ruckle (Team Possibilities)

45-49, Trina Baumsteiner (Team Reubuski Law)

40-44, Christina Probeft

35-39, Rachel Schmidt (XStrategy)

Cat 3/4, Sarah Brodsley (SCNCA)

Pro/Elite, Coryn Rivera (Proman)

Men

60+, John Ruding (UC Cyclery/JW Flooring)

55+, Jon Miller (Rock N’ Road Cyclery)

50-54, Bobby Langin Sr. (Platinum Performance)

45-49, Gary Hanson (Bike Style USA)

40+, Mike Lee (Rock N’ Road Cyclery)

35-39, Fredrick Bottger (PAA)

Cat 4, David Bianco (PAA)

Cat 3, Marco Arocha (Sho-Air)

Pro/Elite, Gary Douville (Platinum Performance)

Single-Speed:

Open- Noah Holcomb (Cannondale Factory Team)